As far as its supporters are concerned, Zack Snyder’s Justice League (aka The Snyder Cut) was everything they could’ve hoped for and more. The director’s uncut vision of the Justice League exceeded expectations, with many regarding it as his best movie to date.

RELATED: 10 Ways The DCEU Should Change In The 2020s

That said, Justice League’s reexamination reminded some of Watchmen, Snyder’s equally divisive superhero movie that enjoyed new life after its release. The question now isn’t if each movie is good, but which one is Snyder’s comic book masterpiece— and why.

10 JUSTICE LEAGUE: The Snyder Cut’s History Precedes The Movie

The Snyder Cut Reels

Out of all of his movies, nothing will define Snyder the way that Justice League– especially the Snyder Cut– will. When word got out that Snyder’s superhero movie was heavily compromised and reworked after his exit, its unabridged state became something of a myth. Four years later, the Snyder Cut was finally completed, but not without its controversy.

Watchmen, on the other hand, is a bona fide cult classic. While divisive on its opening week, it has since grown a dedicated fanbase and it’s now generally viewed as an underappreciated superhero gem. Watchmen isn’t the first nor last movie to be vindicated by time, while Justice League’s legacy is something for the history books.

9 WATCHMEN: Its Theatrical Cut Can Stand On Its Own

The Watchmen In New York

Frankly speaking, the Snyder Cut is leagues above its theatrical version. Where Justice League was a haphazardly edited mess with an inconsistent tone, the Snyder Cut was a flawed but admirably ambitious superhero epic. Newcomers should start with the Snyder Cut, and only watch the theatrical version for comparison or curiosity’s sake.

In contrast, Watchmen’s theatrical cut works perfectly as is. The movie also has an almost 3-hour version in The Ultimate Cut, but its excised material only enhances what’s there instead of fixing it. Restored content includes deleted scenes like Hollis Mason’s death, and the animated adaptation of the in-universe comic Tales Of The Black Freighter.

8 JUSTICE LEAGUE: It's More Epic In Scope

Darkseid In Apokalips

Justice League was a victim of its own ambition, which arguably makes it the more admirable and interesting movie. The DCEU’s first team-up was the start of a trilogy detailing Darkseid’s invasion, with elements of Flashpoint added for good measure. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that the next two chapters will ever be made following Snyder’s falling out with Warner Bros.

Like its comic book, Watchmen closes with an open ending but it’s still a self-contained work. Even if the comics got follow-ups in Before Watchmen, Doomsday Clock, and the HBO show, the movie is its own thing that doesn’t aspire to anything beyond doing the source material justice. While it accomplished that, it leaves little to the imagination the way Justice League does.

7 WATCHMEN: It’s A Perfect Visual Recreation Of The Comics

Ozymandias Reveals His Weapon

Next to Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City, Snyder’s Watchmen is the closest a comic book will ever get to being brought to life. The movie perfectly recreates the comics’ garishly colored world and updates the heroes’ costumes to the superhero trends of the 2000s, both of which help bring the comics’ bleak and oppressive atmosphere to reality.

RELATED: Watchmen: 10 Ways The HBO Show Is Nothing Like The Graphic Novel

Though directed by the same person, Justice League is below Watchmen in terms of visuals. The color palette is drab, the action gets excessive, and the visuals traded DC Comics’ wild worlds for mundane realism. Even with the occasional spaceship, Justice League mistook “boring” for “realistic.” And even then, its realistic backdrops lack the grit and style of Watchmen.

6 JUSTICE LEAGUE: It’s The Better Ensemble Superhero Movie

The League Charges In

Due to time constraints, Watchmen had to shorten some characters’ backstories and outright eliminate entire world-building side stories. For example, the Minutemen and Malcolm Long barely get any screen time, and Bernie is exclusive to The Ultimate Cut. The central Watchmen’s arcs are practically summarized, such as a shortened version of Doctor Manhattan’s flashback.

Since Justice League focuses on seven heroes, they get more time to develop. Even better, The Snyder Cut is split into chapters, with some detailing entire origins (i.e. Cyborg and The Flash) while others build camaraderie (i.e. Batman and Wonder Woman) for others. Thanks to its smaller cast, Justice League shows off its characters better than Watchmen could.

5 WATCHMEN: Rorschach Stole The Show

Rorschach & Walter Kovacs

Watchmen’s cast did a great job of bringing their respective characters to life, but all of them pale in comparison to Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. At the time, Haley’s portrayal of the paranoid vigilante was considered to be an amazing discovery, and he’s since become one of the most reliable character actors in the industry.

Haley brought humanity to an otherwise reprehensible misanthrope, making him sympathetic yet someone to not aspire to be. It’s not uncommon to hear people recommend Watchmen solely on Rorschach’s presence, and it’s because he’s basically the main event. To this day, Haley’s Rorschach remains one of the best superhero movie performances ever seen.

4 JUSTICE LEAGUE: It Has The More Iconic Cast

The members of the Justice League ready for battle

Snyder’s movies may be divisive, but one thing he’s consistently praised for is his keen eye for casting. Nowhere is this clearer than in Justice League, which arguably boasts one of the strongest casts he’s assembled to date. The line-up includes veteran actors and relative newcomers, all of whom excel in their designated roles.

RELATED: 5 Ways The Snyder Cut Is Better Than Endgame (& 5 Ways Endgame Is Better)

Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman’s castings are still the DCEU’s most popular castings, while putting the then-untested Jason Momoa and Ray Fisher as Aquaman and Cyborg respectively was praised. Seeing everyone play off each other perfectly in the Snyder Cut is the kind of entertainment that can’t be easily replicated.

3 WATCHMEN: It’s The Better Adaptation

The Watchmen Take A Photo

Watchmen is notable for how faithful is to the comic books. Save for few exceptions, the movie is a one-to-one recreation of its source material. Alan Moore’s dialogue is recited verbatim, and the visuals are Dave Gibbons’ art in live-action. In fact, one of Watchmen’s biggest faults was being too faithful, hence the amount of excised material.

Justice League, meanwhile, isn’t based on one exact arc or storyline. Instead, it condenses different DC comics and concepts into what can charitably be described as an edgier retelling of The Avengers. Both share the same plot of forming a superhero team to stop an alien invasion, but Justice League falls short of its MCU counterpart.

2 JUSTICE LEAGUE: It Reconstructed The DCEU

Superman Is Not Impressed

Snyder’s DC Universe was polarizing from the start. Man Of Steel recast Superman as a feared godlike alien, while Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice pit a reluctant Superman against a murderous Batman. However, Snyder’s brooding story decisions and creative liberties only made sense in Justice League.

In the Snyder Cut, previously disillusioned and jaded heroes unite under Superman’s example to defend the world. Basically, Justice League undid the deconstructive dark and edgy superhero archetype through good old fashioned heroism. If Justice League were left to Snyder’s devices, the DCEU wouldn’t be as unwieldy and confused as it is right now.

1 WATCHMEN: It Deconstructed Superheroes Before The Deconstruction Craze

The Comedian Reads The Paper

Right now, superhero deconstructions are more popular than ever. The cynical and gory The Boys and Invincible are the most popular superhero shows now, and non-comic movies like Brightburn and Project Power won’t be the last edgy movies about superheroes. In these regards, Watchmen was ahead of its time.

Unlike The Dark Knight trilogy which was more of a character study and grounded thriller starring Batman, Watchmen deconstructed superheroes from within, playing according to the genre’s rules. Like its comic, Watchmen questioned and tested costumed crime-fighters and literal superpower in the real world, circa 1986. It’s only now, in hindsight, that Watchmen’s deconstructions are fully appreciated.

NEXT: Watchmen: 10 Other Comic Book Movies That Should Get Follow-Up TV Shows